The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-09-29

The mazos that wander through.
AZ wider. wider, every day.
Our paths diverge-Oh friend, pray
That thine may be the SUMMER way!
I in my lone lot scarce could pine
While thou were quaffing ltle's red wine,
Fen though its bitterest cup were
katherine E. Conway.
THE HAUNTED CABIN.
In the latter part of the winter
1879 l was one ola party of eight
prospecting for mica along the lower
slopes OF the great Balsam range in
western North Carolina.
Trapping was an absorbing pastime,
and more than one OF our boys had
developed INTO quite exper: trappers,
but none more so than myself. In
deed, my success in this line had gain.
ed for me no little reputation.
One clear. cold day, with one of the
mountalneers as guide and assistant,
left the camp for the purpose of set.
ting some traps in a different part of
the range from any yet visited.
After a long and tedious tramp
through dense jungles, and many ard
uous climbs up precipitOus slopes and
down ag I'm. we found ourselves in the
middle OF the afternoon near the top
OF one of the Hottest peaks and a good
ten miles from camp.
we had not intended to consume so
mucs time over the traps. but had be-
come so closely occupied as to fail to
note how fast the day was going.
saw an anxious look overspread
my companions face.
"1'm afraid hits gwineter snow"
he said, after moments troubled ex-
animation of the clouds overhead.
The words were scarcely out when
several flakes began to drift down
ward.
Our situation was truly an unenvia-
BILE one, on an exposed mountain.to top
with an altitude of more than 5000
teet, a heavy snowstorm imminent, and
the nearest human habitation at least
six miles away.
Wehadgone about threeor four hun
dred yards further, the storm increas-
ing every moment, when suddenly we
came square upon g. small, some
what dilapidated log cabin in a kind of
hollow cave at the very base of tow
ering ledge of rocks, and so swallowed
up in the dense gloom OF the balsams
that but for our almost stumbling up
against it it would have entirely es-
Capeu our notice.
With feeling Of devout thankful
ness 1placed my hand npon the some
what shaky door for the purpose OF
pushing it open to enter, when to my
intense astonishment. my companion
drew back with frightened cry.
"For Gods sake doan 20 in thar!"
he entreated in hoarse, thick tones
Hits a haunted place, an thar's a
curse a'hangin' over it ever sencc Jube
Higgins got that bad TUX with ther
drink ez ter murder his wife an baby!
Jube iissef TUX ter Their mounting
an never was heard of no no. an
hesperit o. Their oman an ther baby's
forever a-hanting' O. Their place an
acrvin' out. I've heard Their voices
many a time myself comm down
Their mounting"
In vain tried to demonstrate with
him. Like all the mountaineers, 7
found him possessed of no small
amount OF superstition.
"Nothin' good'll come o. hit, l tell
ye!" he cried, almost frantically.
Zone O. t'other o. us, mebbe both, III
hev ter go ef We enter that cursid
He finally allowed himself to be ledin.
to the cabin, although l could plain.
ly see his superstitious fears were by
no means allayed.
1t was double log cabin with a
somewhat larger front room and a
much smaller back one divided by 8
thin partition. Overhead in the
front room there was a loft reached
by 4 ladder in the back room.
OF this much took note by the dim
light then pervading the place.
would have continued my investiga
tions but for the intense darkness
that had so suddenly settled down
upon us, caused I we'll knew by the
increase in the storm. By means o.
the leaves and dried twigs that had
collected near one OF the windows
and by tearing up the old ladder
which we found to be quite rotten
we soon had fire kindled in the broad
fireplace, for We had taken the pre-
caution to provide ourselves with
matches.
My mountaineer kept close beside
me during all these operations. In
deed, he did not once allow me to gel
beyond the reach of his hand.
laughed to myself no little ove1
his somewhat ludicrous appearance
and openly rallied him several time.
in regard toNhis foolish fears and sup
erstitions. But moment later
turned almost faint with horror a.
the fire, blazing up, showed me poo
of blood directly beside me!
1t was OF considerable size anC
freshly spilled. A cold SILVER passed
over me, and felt my heart sink, i
not literally down to my boots, ther
very near to them, in my Imagination
As was sitting directly betw
tho horrible spot ard my companion
he did not see it, and with feeling o
devout thankfulness l managed, with
out exciting his suspicious, to cove1
it up with a portion of the leaves w
had piled near the hearth.
AS we were dispatching the remains
OF our dinner my companion, no.
without considerable nervousness
however, and white, scared fac
with lips that scarcely pronounced
the words above a whisper, related tt
me in iun ho1 rible story of the drink
maddened man who in q moment o
frenzy had murdered his loving wifi
and innocent little baby.
By this time the night had fairly
settled down upon US, and the dark
ness, save where the dim glow of tn,
fire rested, was impenetrable. TIL
thick shadows enveloped US ever
where We sat, for, the fuel being poor
we had continually to coax our tir,
to burn, and were often without eve,
pretence of a blaze.
suddenly-;;ust as my companio,
was describing to me the terrible head
long rush with which the frenzied Hie
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